Hailed as the first feature film to focus on the long-standing conflict between the Philippine central government and muslims in the south, Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s epic work was pioneering in its treatment of muslim Filipinos (Moros) with sympathy and sensitivity. Bagong Buwan tells the story ofAhmad (Cesar Montano), a muslim who lives in Manila, while his wife Fatima (Amy Austria) and only son Ibrahim stay in Mindanao. Ahmad is devastated when he is told that a stray bullet fired by vigilantes has killed Ibrahim. Returning home, Ahmad finds himself opposing his family’s wish to stay in their war-torn homeland. In spite of his son’s death, Ahmad still wants to live a peaceful life and insists that the best solution is for his family to move to Manila with him. Musa, Ahmad’s brother, disagrees. Musa believes that a war against the unbelievers is the only solution, and even trains his young son for a Muslim warrior’s life. An explosion near a public marketplace thrusts Ahmad and his loved ones into the center of a bloody conflict between christians and muslims, the government and the Moros. Montano’s stunning performance garnered him a Best Actor nod for a Gawad Urian, the Filipino equivalent of an Oscar.